


Behind the Mask

by afangirlimagines



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-17 03:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5851891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afangirlimagines/pseuds/afangirlimagines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“'Just let me take care of you.' He seemed to be asking her permission by the way he was looking at her, eyes wide in concern and grief. There was no way Lady could ignore that face, so she nodded slightly and closed her eyes to listen to him."</p><p>When Ladybug gets injured and Chat Noir insists on taking care of her, he begins to run out of time before his miraculous runs out. By revealing his true self, how much will he transform the relationship between him and his Lady?</p><p>Previously called Eyes Wide Open</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! I didn't notice until posting this chapter and I passed a 100 kudos! (Over 150 right now!) Thank you guys so much!! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this! <3

Ladybug skids across the ground and ungracefully rolls to a stop. She gets up a little too quickly, sending a wave of pain through her shoulder. Scanning the area for Chat Noir, she notices that most people have deserted at this point. _Thank god._ It was just her, Superboy, and, hopefully, Chat. She didn’t have a plan for her lucky charm, two pencils in this case, and she was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. She needs him by her side. 

The sun was beginning to set, but the scene in front of Ladybug was anything but peaceful. The buildings to their right cast a shadow on the destruction this small eight year old was causing. The boy akumatized and started destroying the city with an unseeable force. He’s stronger than most of the akumas she had fought before, and her energy was depleting quickly.

Chat, currently on the top of a flower shop, leaps off and lands gracefully at Ladybug’s side, as if he read her thoughts. She can hear him panting slightly under his breath, and he gestures towards the pencils.

“Did you figure out the _point_ of those pencils yet?” The cat asks, eyes lingering on his partner, waiting for her to roll her eyes.

“Just- just cover me for a second. I’m thinking,” Lady didn’t want to snap at him, but her mind was whirling and she could barely focus on him. The little boy narrows his eyes on her and she knew she only had a few moments before he got to her. Her mind flashed back to their altercation only a few moments ago, where this Superboy chucked her in the air like a ragdoll. She looks around desperately and the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. She looks back down at her pencils and smiles. She has her plan.

“Chat, the billboard.” The second she says it, he takes off running. In the back of her mind, she hears him say Cataclysm as she watches Superboy fly towards the right to avoid being hit by the falling billboard.

Lady starts running full speed towards a lamp post near where the board fell, unleashing her yoyo to swing from it. As she swings, she aims and throws her pencils towards Superboy’s cape. She hits her target, one pencil landing in each corner, and is able to pin him against the side of the building.

Chat, instinctively knowing what to do, launches himself with his pole and pulls the comic book out of our super “hero’s” hands and rips it in half. A black butterfly comes fluttering out and Ladybug quickly captures it with her yoyo. She quickly reverses the damage the insect caused and catches the little boy when his cape disappears. Chat Noir hands the boy his comic book, and they let him run back to his frantic looking parents.

“So my Lady, it seems I’ve proven mys-” Chat cuts off, and stops mid bow, when he sees the scratches on Ladybug’s cheek. “When did that happen? Are you okay?” His voice was filled with concern; his cheeky grin ripped from his face.

Lady put her hand to her cheek, only now feeling the pain as her adrenaline wears off. It was only a small cut, barely any blood, and she could probably write it off as an unfortunate incident with a friend’s cat. It was rather swollen though, and it felt hot to the touch.

“Yes, I’m fine, Cat. I just, must have scratched it a bit when I fell on the pavement. No big deal.” Lady smiled at Chat, and pointed at his ring after it gave a warning beep, raising her eyebrows.

He only had two more pieces until he transformed back to himself. Ladybug only heard two beeps so far, so she knows she has a little more time than him, but she shouldn’t really stay and _...chat._ Ladybug internally sighed at herself. The cat was rubbing off on her. 

The blonde shook his head and looked at Lady. “I have a bandage on me, at least let me do that much.” 

“Chat, I’m fine. I’m still walking, right? And I think we can both agree we’ve faced worse threats than a small scratch.”

Lady waved him off and began to jog towards a lamp post, but when she tried to swing her yoyo around it, a sharp pain shot through her arm. She dropped the yoyo and stopped running. Grinding her teeth slightly, she worried about what actually happened to her shoulder.

She wished Chat had left at that point, but it seems all her luck went into those two pencils from earlier. He rushed to her side, and, the second he saw the pain on her face, tilted her chin slightly to look at him. 

“Just let me take care of you.” He seemed to be asking her permission by the way he was looking at her, eyes wide in concern and grief. There was no way Lady could ignore that face, so she nodded slightly and closed her eyes to listen to him. 

“I’m just going to feel your shoulder to see what’s wrong, okay? It may hurt a little, but I promise I’ll be gentle.” 

Lady bit her lip slightly and looked at him as he started to remove her arm that was cradling her shoulder. He looked so- she couldn’t name it. His face tightened in focus as he touched and rubbed her shoulder. It hurt, but somehow, the pain was the last thing on Lady’s mind. She was completely focused on him. And when he moved his hands away, she felt cold, even though her shoulder was burning up from the injury.

“I think it’s just sprained, so you’ll be alright. But rest it for a few days to be safe.”

Chat Noir gave her a genuine smile, not a smirk like usual, and Lady couldn’t help but wonder where this side was coming from. She smiled up at him and tried to say ‘thank you’, but the words just couldn’t come out. They were stuck in her throat and she was left looking up at Chat, starstruck.

“Now that I’m here though, I might as well bandage up that cheek of yours.”

Ladybug was just about to nod at him, because she wanted to see more of this caring Chat, but her thoughts were interrupted by his miraculous. He was on his last minute before he would transform.

Chat saw the way Ladybug’s eyes widened at the noise and he instantly shushed her. “I’m sure I’ve got enough time to take care of you. Don’t stress. Let me worry about it.”

Lady didn’t want him to leave, though mentally she was kicking herself for not fighting him on it. He unzipped his pocket and pulled out a small bandage. He gently moved her face to the side, and caressed her cheek lightly as he placed the bandage. Lady bit her tongue to stop herself from sighing at his touch. He was so careful with her, every touch extremely delicate. She can take care of herself, hell she takes care of all of Paris on the regular, but that doesn't mean its not nice to have someone care.

The moment ended quickly, though, and his hand was quickly removed.

“Well, I suppose that’s it, isn’t it. Unless you’re hiding anymore injuries from your partner.” Chat winked and Lady’s face flushed. She couldn’t help it. She felt vulnerable and he was so close.

She finally found her voice and looked up at him. “You should go.” Unless he lived on this block, he wouldn’t make it home in time, but maybe he could find a place to hide.

He nodded, looking a little sad, and turned around to start walking away. She heard a last loud beep- something Marinette was too familiar with hearing, and he started jogging a bit. But after he was a few feet away, he slowed down, and turned around to look one last time. He felt torn, leaving her alone, in some dark alleyway. Sure, she was one of Paris’ finest heroes, but she was still just a girl. 

Ladybug sat down with her back against the wall of a building, a streetlight shining in just the right way. Her eyes looked like they were glowing and her cheeks were red, something he’d have to tease her about once his heart rate went back down and he wasn’t about to transform. Her knees were slightly shaking, pulled close to her chest. She had a look in her eyes that he’d never seen before. And it was pulling at his heart.

Chat felt himself beginning to change. He looked down and saw his sneakers, and realized his mistake. He had to go now or she would know. He always wanted to tell her, he just wanted them to be close. Adrien just needed a friend who knew the real him. And that was Ladybug. But he had to respect her wishes. It would be rude not to. 

But his moment of hesitation made the decision for him. By the time he got his feet moving it was too late. He could feel his mask disappearing, and felt exposed. As if on instinct, he looked back. He wanted to know if Ladybug was looking at him, though it seems clear in retrospect that it would just make it more likely that his ultra-ego would be exposed.

Ladybug saw him beginning to transform. She didn’t want to keep watching. She wanted to keep it private. It would make their lives simplier. But there was always a part of her dying to know, and right now she just wasn’t thinking straight. She was thinking about how sweet Chat was, and how nice it would be to have him in her life, in Marinette’s life. She was thinking about how she thought she understood him, just to watch him change in front of her eyes. _And now he’s actually changing._ She looked up at him as he began to walk away again, desperately hoping that it would provide the answers to her thoughts, but it was right as his mask began to disappear. And she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Their eyes locked. She froze. Her mouth dropped, almost reaching the ground. He closed his eyes and ran off. _Maybe she didn’t see. Please tell me she didn’t see._

She saw.

Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. _The_ Adrien Agreste. _Marinette’s_ Adrien Agreste.

The perfect, kind-hearted, not to mention handsome, Adrien Agreste was her partner-in-crime, Chat Noir, known for his terrible puns and shameless flirtation. 

Marinette buried her face into her palms, and let herself transform there. She didn’t care anymore. She just needed to process what she just saw. It had to be some kind of messed up dream. And she was begging to wake up.


	2. Chapter 2

“Marinette, you need to tell him that you know sooner or later. And if you wait too long, you may hurt his feelings.”

“Tikki, I can’t tell him I know. I’ve been thinking about this all weekend. I need him to keep his two halves separate, just like I need to keep my two halves separate. If Adrien starts acting like Chat, I may go insane, but more importantly, if Chat starts acting like Adrien, we will be out of sync again. Do you not remember how long it took us to get used to each other, to work around each other, to work as a unit? Forget me, the city of Paris can’t allow that to happen.”

Tikki sighed, having so much she wanted to say. But like usual, she was cut off my a knock on the door and a slightly push into Marinette’s purse.

“Come on, Marinette, time to head to school. I know it’s a Monday, but you need to pick up your feet.”

Marinette was glad that Alya saved her from Tikki’s lecture, but being with Alya wasn’t much easier. Marinette wished she could talk to Alya about this. She needed her best friend. But that would mean revealing her secret and one that wasn’t even hers. That Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir.

 _Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir. Adrien is Chat._ Those words have been repeating themselves in her head every waking hour in the past few days and they don’t sound any less foreign.

It was Adrien who pinned her down when Stormy Weather attacked. It was Adrien who she kissed in an attempt to save him. It was Adrien Agreste who was constantly flirting with her. It was always Adrien by her side.

Except, he didn’t like Marinette. He liked Ladybug. And unless Marinette told him who she was, she could never be with Adrien. So she needed to get over him. Because in the end, having a professional relationship with Chat mattered more than Marinette having a boyfriend.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Marinette. What’s wrong?”

Marinette simply buried her head in her hands and shook it slightly. She didn’t know where to start. Alya pushed her a bit more for information, and Marinette figured out what to ask. “How do I get over a boy?”

“What?? OH NO! Did something happen with Adrien? Do I need to fight him? I can take down that model boy.” Marinate smiled to herself, knowing Alya wouldn’t say that if she knew the truth.

“I just- I just need to get over him. Please, Alya.”

“I never thought you’d actually want to get over him. I always saw you two getting together. Just, just try to avoid him during the day. I’ll be next to you the whole time, so if he’s approaching, just keep talking to me and focus on our conversation, okay? That’s a good first step.”

After a pause, during which Marinette nodded, Alya stopped to look her in the eyes. “And hey, whatever happened to cause this, which I better hear about when you’re feeling better, just proves that he wasn’t worth someone as perfect as you, Marinette. You’re amazing and it’s his loss if he can’t realize that.”

Marinette gave a small smile to her friend, and took a deep breath. They just reached the school and she could see Adrien’s limousine down the block. _Damn it._ Marinette knew she would have to face him today, but she was hoping for just a few minutes alone before hand.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to fight him? I promise I can bring down that pretty boy.”

“Alya,” Marinette scolded. “I’m just gonna head into class early. Maybe I’ll get a moment alone.”

While Marinette was using her Ladybug skills to try to keep her cool about the events to come, Adrien was praying that all his modeling taught him enough about putting on a facade so he could get through the day.

Adrien didn’t know if Ladybug realized who he was. And he didn’t know if he could go through not knowing. On one hand, he was extremely elated. Maybe now he could finally become friends with Ladybug as Adrien. _Didn’t Alya say she went to our school? She must know me!_ Maybe this means that Ladybug will reveal her true self to him. Maybe Ladybug and him will actually be able to get together now! Adrien played every wonderful result of the reveal over and over in his head, praying that one of them will come true.

But he could only think about it for so long until everything bad that could happen flooded into his head. What if Ladybug hated him as Adrien? Or what if she treated him differently like everyone but his few friends do- what if she treats him like a celebrity? Would that affect them working together? Also, Ladybug didn’t want to know Adrien- she only wanted to know Chat. What if she’s angry at him now for being careless when he transformed? What if she has trouble working with him now because he betrayed her? What if she doesn’t want to work with him anymore? After all, Ladybug would be perfectly fine without a silly cat following her around.

Adrien sighed as Gorilla pulled up to the school. The thing that bothered him is despite all of those possible scenarios, he couldn’t regret anything. He got to take care of Ladybug when she needed him. He got to hold her close. And he couldn’t get out of his head the warmth that spread through him when he held her cheek. Or the blush she had when she looked up at him, eyes sparkling in the light. Or how, for a second, he actually felt like she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to stay. _Could it be that she- No. She doesn’t. Stop getting your hopes up._ His inner voice has been starting to sound a lot like Plagg lately, and furthers Adrien’s doubts.

Marinette loitered in the hallways before class started, waiting until the very last minute before heading to her seat. Granted, with her record, she barely had a minute before the bell commanded her to face her fears.

She willed herself not to look at him. She had never regretted the fact she sat behind him until today. Class itself was uneventful, but Marinette didn’t process one thing out of Ms. Bustier’s mouth. Alya wrote her notes during class to try to distract her, even telling her to work on her designs so she would do _something_ other than stare at Adrien’s head. But the thoughts in her head wouldn’t stop, fluttering around more than an angry akuma.

After the bell rang, Nino tried to get Adrien to go with him to hang out, but Adrien refused to leave. He was hoping, praying, that Ladybug might want to talk to him. Maybe. He anxiously tapped his foot while keeping a death grip on his books. This is the moment he wanted ever since he got the ring that sits on his finger. All he wanted was to get to know Ladybug outside of the mask.

Marinette, on the other hand, raced out of the class the second the bell rang, leaving Adrien and Alya waiting in the dust. Once she was alone, Tikki hid herself in the collar of her shirt and they began talking.

“Marinette! You two, awkward or not, are partners. He deserves more of your respect than this.”

“What harm does it do? He’ll just think I didn’t recognize him or something. No harm, no foul.”

“And if he ever somehow finds out your identity? How would he feel?”

Marinette sighed. “Look, that’s not going to happen. I’ll be extra careful. I mean, I’ve learnt the consequences of being reckless now. I won’t do anything like that.”

“I know you want to keep things professional, Marinette, but did you ever think about how it might help Paris if you are able to work together outside of the costume?”

Marinette’s eyes widened at that. She never considered that. Maybe Tikki did have a point, but Marinette’s fears were too suffocating for her to really consider the possibility of telling Chat who she was. She needed the mask for more than just her powers. She needed the protection, the barrier, it created. It divided her from Paris, and it divided her two selves. She needed those separations to stay sane.

Marinette chose simply not to reply to Tikki, not knowing what to say. Tikki sighed and added, “Maybe you can talk to Master Fu about your reservations. Or to the only person who might understand where you’re coming from.”

“Chat wouldn’t understand. He’s wanted to know who I was since day one. Of course he’s going to biased.”

“He is Adrien Agreste, world famous model and son of world famous designer. And given how strict his father has appeared to be in past encounters, I wouldn’t be surprised if Adrien needs a mask as much as you do- powers or no.” Tikki paused. “Either way, you can talk about it with him on parole tonight.

Marinette stopped dead in her tracks. “Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m going to have to see him.” Marinette rubbed the bridge of her nose before continuing to her house. She had no clue what she was going to do tonight. Quite frankly, she just didn’t want to go, period, but she knew Tikki wouldn’t approve of that.

When Marinette got into her room, she eyes her trash can and winced slightly. If anyone else saw this, they’d think she had a death wish for Adrien. Marinette thought back to two nights ago.

After finding out that Chat Noir is Adrien, her initial emotions were flipping rapidly between every extreme imaginable. For a while, she sat in the alleyway, completely numb. She tried to convince herself her eyes were tricking her. It was because she was blushing over Chat a few moments ago, something that _was_ going to be the center of her thoughts, that she merged him and Adrien together. It was dark, and the streetlights played tricks with the shadows. It was cause Adrien was just also nearby, and Marinette looked at the wrong person. It was just a bad dream.

When she finally forced herself to accept it, all she knew is that she could not stay there anymore. She felt nauseous at the thought of remaining there. She held the exhausted Tikki in her hands as she raced away from the scene of the crime. She did not want to be there anymore. She never wanted to go there every again. The way she was running was straining her shoulder more, not using any kind of proper form, but Marinette didn’t care. The pain was grounding her at least.

Marinette rushed into her bedroom, glad her parents were too distracted in the bakery to question her, and slammed the door shut. As if that would keep the truth out from her safe space. She leaned her back against it, panting, while Tikki flew to the plate of cookies on Marinette’s nightstand.

Marinette opened her eyes and the first thing she saw made her want to scoff. A boiling rage filled her because even though it was her decision to put those posters up, it felt like everything in the world was trying to mock her right now. She stood on her chair and she tore down every single one, ripping many of them right through his pretty face. Soon, all she could do was rip through them until the anger finally melted away into wracking sobs.

Everything was conflicting inside her in a way she couldn’t understand. Her friend was her partner. She should be happy. Hell, her crush was the one flirting with her on a weekly basis. She should be ecstatic. But everything felt disconnected.

Adrien “Chat Noir” Agreste was not a cohesive person. Just like her, he fell into two distinct halves, and besides his looks, she did not see any overlap. Or rather, she didn’t see any overlap with her. He joked around the same with Nino as he did during an akuma. But that was a side of him Marinette wasn’t allowed to see.

He treated Ladybug and Marinette completely differently. And she didn’t know if that was because he didn’t like Marinette or because he revered Ladybug too much, but either way, she knew something. He would be disappointed if her mask came off.

And so it would stay on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided in honor of NaNoWriMo (no I'm not actually doing it this year), I would post the second chapter today. I didn't get a chance to proof read it though, so if you notice any errors please let me know!! 
> 
> Again, still not too sure where I'm going with this, but I did like what I wrote about Mari's reactions, so we're going with it. 
> 
> Now I have to study for a Midterm tomorrow (Advice: Don't take Organic Chemistry in college unless you're good at memorizing textbooks.)! I wrote this instead cause I'm a mess even though I got like a 50 on my practice test for Chem. *Shrugs* Oh well. Wish me luck!!


	3. Chapter 3

“So…”

“Hi Chat.”

“You know, right?”

Marinette sighed. Apparently there would be no beating around the bush. “Uh, I think? But- but I didn’t get that good of a look because of the lighting.” Marinette hesitated. Should she apologize? She did just find out his most important secret. But it’s not like she had any intent to… but she also didn’t look away once the glow of his transformation pierced the night.

Before she could decide on one of her thousands of thoughts to voice, she heard him begin to speak up. “Look, Ladybug. I am _so_ sorry. I know how important you felt it was that we kept our identities secret and I messed up. Big time.” He ran his hands through his already mussed up hair. “Is there anything I can do to make this right?”

“Not one pun in that whole rant. Chat, I’m impressed.” Even Ladybug knew her joking tone was a tad too forced. She just couldn’t stand the atmosphere they had created. “The only reason there was any kind of open transformation is because you were taking care of me. Don’t apologize for being a good person.”

Chat’s eye widened. “Oh my god! I’m so dumb! I meant to ask how your arm was doing. I didn’t mean to be so distracted in my own mistakes that -”

“Relax. I haven’t thought about it much either, to be honest. When Tikki’s not exhausted, she’s able to heal me faster. I’m assuming that happens to you too?

“Uh, yeah actually. I guess I never really put much thought to it.” Chat stored away the name Tikki to make sure he asked Plagg about Ladybug’s kwami, he presumed, later.

“And the headache of this whole reveal thing falls on both of our shoulders.” Marinette went to put her arm on Chat, but then lowered it and began to blush at the thought of touching Adrien so intimately. After all, it’s not like he was that close with her normal self anyway.

“Reveal? So, you know then?”

Ladybug swallowed nervously. Earlier she was so much more sure about hiding this truth. But Tikki’s words made her guilt grow and her thoughts kept running back and forth. She sighed and sat down, letting her legs hang over the edge of the Eiffel Tower.

Memories came flooding to her of the last time an akuma brought her here. Volpina with her smirk, tasting victory. Adrien, his whole life in the akuma’s, and essentially Hawkmoth’s, grip. Chat, begging her desperately to trust _him_ and not listen to the trickster. And her. Hands on her loosening earrings, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Marinette sees the foolishness in it now. Had she known Chat’s real identity, she never would’ve gotten so close to losing one of the most important things in her life. She never would’ve gotten so close to surrendering over Paris. She spent hours awake over that, thinking over what almost became. And one thought kept coming back: if it wasn’t Adrien, would she have acted the same way?

And now, she wanted to ask herself the same question. Is the reason she is opposed to telling Chat the truth because she doesn’t want Adrien to know, or because she truly doesn’t want anyone to know. Had Chat been revealed as a complete stranger, would she still be so hesitant? Or what if it was Nino seated in front of her? (Though it was weird to think of carefree Nino being a superhero. Not that Adrien was any easier.) If Nino was Chat, would she be more willing to tell him, because there was no crush or adoration involved on her part? Or would Chat’s idolization of her always be enough to stop her in her tracks?

“Ladybug?” Chat asked, hesitantly. He kneeled down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. And for a moment, it felt like it was _just_ Chat next to her. She shrugged off her shoulder and looked away from him.

“I just- I don’t know. Aren’t you worried about how what I say could change our relationship forever?”

“Well, I guess that already happened Saturday, no? Now we just need to do damage control and move forward.” Chat shrugged, not sounding completely sure at the end. But it made complete sense to Ladybug. The damage was in fact done. And right now, she was dealing with it all on her own.

“My kwami sides with you, you know. She thinks we should reveal ourselves to each other so we can work together outside of the suit as well.”

Chat knew that he shouldn’t be pressuring her, as it is a delicate situation. But the back and forth racing in his head needed to be silenced. “LB, I don’t mind if you know or not. All I want to know is the truth.”

And now Marinette wondered if it would’ve been easier to lie to him if it wasn’t Adrien. But a voice in the back of her head told her no. Chat was her partner and she trusted him with her life. There was no way this was going to be easy, period.

 _I always get in trouble when I don’t listen to Tikki. Maybe she’s right. Maybe_ Chat’s _right._

She bit her lip for a second, before nervously facing Chat and waving nervously. “Hi Adrien.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I already have like ~a page of the next chapter written, but I honestly shouldn't have been posting this. I have a Organic Chem exam coming up, as well as a Statistics Project and revisions, and I'm typing up my story as a distraction more than anything. But I hope you like it!
> 
> I do recognize this was a bit short, but it just felt like I really good place to end. Hopefully after the next few weeks pass, things will calm down. Thank you for reading. Constructive criticisms are always welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I didn't notice until posting this chapter, but I passed 150 kudos! I want to thank everyone who gave this fic kudos; it means a lot. I'm glad you're enjoying this fic!! <3

“Uh, hi Ladybug. It’s me.” Adrien put some distance between him and Ladybug, standing a few feet away. He fiddled with his hands, looking down at his feet. “I’m sorry. I hope you’re not disappointed. I know my dad kind of has an image. And I know you probably think I’m just like him. But please don’t change your opinion of me. I’m still the same guy.” Chat was pleading with her, and Marinette just wasn’t sure she could take it. Adrien didn’t deserve to feel this badly about himself.

“Adrien, don’t talk down about yourself. I know you’re a good person. And even your dad isn’t bad. I mean, he was victim to an akuma, not the one creating them. The only person I think I don’t like is Hawkmoth. And maybe Chloe.” Ladybug gave a stiff laugh, hoping that the uncomfortable faces Adrien makes when Chloe hugs him would mean that he didn’t really like her either.

Chat gave her a small smile, something that looked foreign on his face. He was always smirking or beaming, so to see him look so closed in, it felt awful.

“I know I’m young, too. I mean, I don’t know how old you are, but a lot of the papers don’t think that a fifteen year old can save the city. I hope that isn’t an issue.”

“Actually, we’re pretty much the same age, so I guess the heroes of Paris are just kids who can’t even drive yet. I’m glad to know, though.” She paused before adding, “Hey, I mean, since I know, do you want to let go of your transformation? So your kwami can rest, and all that?” Marinette knew that she had to get used to Chat Noir as Adrien, and maybe watching his detransform, properly seeing it, would help her. She knew her reasons were self-centered, but it was something she needed right now.

“How would I get back then? It’s not like I can climb down a building as Adrien.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. We always have each other’s backs after all, right?”

Chat looked around, but saw a few citizens still out. The light of his transformation would draw their attention and he didn’t want to risk that. And the fact that there were probably tourists that were probably staring enamored by the Tower didn’t help. He couldn’t deal with more people knowing who he was. “Um, could we possibly go somewhere else?”

“Oh, of course. Where would you like to go?” Ladybug stood up, and unclipped her yoyo from her belt.

“Somewhere we could both let go of our transformations.”

Marinette’s eyes shot open. He’s going to want to see who she is as well. She should’ve known that. She should’ve prepared for this. On one hand, knowing who each other are in battle would only really be helpful if they both knew who the other was, and it would probably make Adrien a bit more comfortable if he knew it was a fellow classmate, even if they weren’t really that close. But that part of Marinette that’s insecure, that terrible little voice that criticizes her for everything she tries to do, whispers back. _“Don’t do this. He’d rather work with Ladybug than Marinette. The whole world prefers Ladybug.”_

But that was the exact same thing Chat was probably thinking right now. He was unmasked, and even if he hadn’t technically let go of his transformation, his mask was merely an illusion to Ladybug now. The only stand of solidarity she could take, the only way she could truly have his back like she promised she did, was to reveal herself.

“Ladybug? You’ve been quiet for a while. If you want to stay, that’s fine. I’ll just give Plagg more to eat after all of this.”

She released the breath she didn’t know she was holding in and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Adrien. It’s Marinette.”

She opened her eyes when she heard only silence. She saw Chat’s face, jaw stuck open and eyes bugging out. She would’ve made fun of him saying that she was the bug had she been able to move. If her mouth wasn’t completely dry.

“I- uh. I- I’m just going to go. We can talk another day, okay? I- I’m sorry, Adrien. I- I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” She unlatched her yoyo and aimed towards a nearby building. Before she left though, she looked over her shoulder and quickly rushed out, “Please, please try to act normal tomorrow. Alya is an amazing investigator as is, and the fact she’s my best friend has made it really difficult to keep my secret from her. I don’t want to throw that all away tomorrow. I think we’ve both dealt with enough reveals for the time being.” And with that, Ladybug was soaring away into the night, and Chat Noir was left, completely motionless, staring at the girl who sat behind him in class. _She’s always been right there._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I just died for a bit there. Things got busy, I had trouble deciding where I wanted to go with this fic, and I got distracted writing for my other fics. But thank the fivecrazypeople on tumblr for getting me to get back into the groove of this fic!
> 
> The next chapter is already partially written!!


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette had gotten to school fifteen minutes early that day and everyone was giving her double takes for it. At first it made her nervous, thinking they realized her secret, somehow someone overheard her and Chat, or Adrien ended up telling people, before Tikki helpfully whispered to her that nobody is used to seeing her until maybe two minutes before class, and even that didn’t happen as often as it should.

Marinette was restless the night before. She spent most of it tossing in her bed, anxiety racking her mind. She imagined countless different scenarios: what if Adrien acted differently in school the next day and Alya could tell; what if the whole class could tell; what if the next time an akuma attacks Chat accidentally calls her Marinette or she accidentally calls him Adrien; what if Hawkmoth could tell they were acting differently; what would become of them if Hawkmoth found out their secret; what would become of Paris?

Marinette started to fall down the same downward spiral she fell down the night before, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She stopped her pacing, something she apparently started doing, and slowly turned around. What if the way she was acting already revealed her?

 _Adrien. Oh, thank god._ Marinette let out the breath she was holding at the sight of her partner. But then it hit her that Adrien just touched her, and she tensed up all over again.

“We need to talk.” Both students blinked in shock, as they said the words on each other’s minds.

“Um, you can go first,” Adrien offered. Marinette didn’t want to go first though. To be completely honest she didn’t want to go at all. She sighed, knowing it was something she had to do, however, if they were going to get past the awkwardness.

“Can we find an empty classroom first? I don’t exactly want anyone to overhear us. I’m assuming you want to talk about the same thing anyway.”

Adrien nodded and they walked in silence as they looked for an empty room that happened to be unlocked. They were lucky in that the third door they tried ended up being open. Had the deafening silence between the two of them lasted any longer, Marinette would’ve screamed.

Marinette had spent a lot of time thinking about how she would start this conversation, but now that she was supposed to, her mind went blank. “I just- I- Adrien, look I’m sorr-“

“Marinette, I want you to know I won’t think of you any differently. In fact, it makes sense.”

“How?”

“Like whenever you stand up to Chloe. It was always surprised to see since you always got so nervous around me. I thought maybe you just didn’t like me or something at first...”

“Adrien, I never didn’t like you. Okay, well maybe, after the whole gum incident. But after you gave me your umbrella, I always assumed we were cool.”

Adrien scratched the back on his neck and looked down slightly. “Oh, I thought- cause you’re always a lot more jumpy around me.” There was no way Marinette was about to explain why that was the case. She would didn’t ever really consider it before, but now that she also knows it is Chat in front of her, the person who’s idolized her since the beginning, she was not going to add another confession the scale and through things even more out of balance than they already are.

“That’s just- as Marinette, I’m different. You get it, right? I mean you don’t pun nearly as much as Adrien. And thank god for that.”

Adrien gave her a smaller version of his Chat smirk. The lines were starting to blur between the two, and Marinette couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing yet. “My puns are purr-fect, my lady.” He dropped the smirk to add, “But I only have two personalities cause of my dad. Image to uphold, and all that.” Adrien shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged.

Marinette wasn’t sure what to say to that. She never really thought about how the way Adrien acts was a product of what his father wanted. It made her upset, but it also wasn’t her place to say anything. It’s not like she was Nino. She didn’t even have much of a role in Adrien’s life, only Chat’s.

“I, uh, the reason I wanted to talk to you was just to say sorry for the way I ran off last night. That wasn’t cool, and I’m fully aware of that. I just panicked.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Before Adrien was done with his sentence, Marinette’s purse started swaying. Or rather, Tikki’s purse. The movement caught Adrien’s attention. His eyes lit up as he opened his messenger bag a little bit. “Is it okay if I let Plagg out? He made me promise that he could spend time with Tikki today.”

Marinette looked around to make sure nobody was looking through the window in the classroom door before letting Tikki fly out. Plagg soon joined her and they sat on one of the desks.

“Plagg, how much camembert have you been eating? I can smell it on your breath. It stinks.”

“Not enough; this one is stingy with it.”

Tikki then flew up to Adrien’s eye level, resting on his hand when he raised it. “It’s nice to formally meet you Adrien. I mean, of course, I’ve seen you a bunch of times between school and all the posters Ma-“

Marinette nervously laughed over Tikki while picking her up and giving her a pointing look. Tikki looked apologetic before flying back to Adrien, this time sitting on his shoulder. “I hope Plagg hasn’t been giving you too hard of a time.”

“Well, I mean, he’s Plagg.”

Plagg grunted in disapproval to that. Marinette bent down to look at the kwami who was now laying sprawled out on the desk. “So, you’re Plagg, huh?” Marinette reached down and scratched behind his ears slightly, resulting in a louder purr than should be possible for his small body.

“Mmm, I like this one. Tikki keep a strong hold on her.”

“I don’t get how he warmed up to you so quickly. I mean, I’ve had Plagg for how long now, and he still likes you better after a few minutes. I mean, I get why, though. You are ladybug.”

Marinette moved her hand away from Plagg and looked Adrien in the eyes. “Adrien, I’m not Ladybug. Or at least not the Ladybug you think I am. I just, I’m Marinette.”

Adrien blinked at that, not sure what she was getting at. Of course, he knows she’s Marinette. But why does she think that Ladybug isn’t who she is as well?

Before he could say anything, though, the class bell rang and the kids realized they would have to job to their next class to make it on time. And probably only a few seconds before the second bell, the pair was bursting into the classroom, faces flushed, with the whole class looking at them.

 _Great way to start the day,_ Marinette couldn’t help but think bitterly as she made her way to her seat.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is very tentative in that I don't know how long I will continue it. I have decided, however, to edit, and post more to the story. I will post notes to keep you guys updated on my plans for this fic, but college is draining and even if I'm continuing the story, please understand updates will be kind of delayed.
> 
> Thank you all for reading this, and thank you for support of my story!
> 
> I'm on tumblr: afangirlsimagine is my writing blog and energeticnerd is my main blog


End file.
